Homes lost as fires burn across Victoria - day's developments

Residents in Victorian towns and outer Melbourne suburbs told it’s too late to leave as fires threaten homes and lives amid the most dangerous fire threat since 2009’s devastating Black Saturday fires. Firefighters in South Australia are battling an emergency level fire for 26th consecutive day.

Updated

Residents in Victorian towns told it’s too late to leave as fires threaten homes and lives across the state amid the most dangerous threat since 2009’s devastating Black Saturday fires. Photograph: Dave McKenzie/AAP

Summary

This is the end of our live blog for today as Victoria remains in the grip of worst fire conditions since Black Saturday. We’ll have a full summary shortly.

Firefighters from multiple states continued to battle blazes across Victoria on Sunday as the state saw the worst fire day since 2009’s Black Saturday.

At various points throughout Sunday up to 13 emergency-level fires burnt and more than 143 warnings were issued to residents. At least four evacuation orders were given as fast-moving fires raced towards properties on the outskirts of Melbourne, east Victoria and the Gippsland region.

Successive heatwaves throughout summer have contributed to the horrendous conditions, worsened by hot, dry and windy weather at the weekend.

A cool change had swept through the state by Sunday evening but even though temperatures dropped many fires were exacerbated as strong and gusty winds shifted the direction of fire fronts.

Key event

“Across Victoria today we’ve faced conditions that are the worst we’ve seen in five years,” Napthine told reporters a few minutes ago.

“Victoria has responded extraordinarily well under these challenging conditions. We’ve see all our emergency services agencies working together to protect lives first and foremost in Victoria, working together to protect strategic assets and working together to protect homes.”

Napthine said lessons learned from Black Saturday have been put into action and the state has seen a better coordinated response and a better result.

“The Victorian government has an assistance package in place that will be rolled out immediately to those who have lost their homes. Family assistance packages will be available to those who have been relocated due to the fire threat.”

Another evacuation order from the CFA: If you are located in Bonang, Cabanandra, Deddick Valley, Dellicknora, Tubbut and Amboyne, it is strongly recommended that you evacuate and seek shelter at Delegate Relief Centre at the Delegate Country Club, Bonang Road, Delegate.

The Gisborne fire, which has seen at least one house lost, has been downgraded to a Watch and Act advisory. The CFA advises however, that conditions can change quickly and is advising residents of Barringo, Cherokee, Kerrie, Macedon, Mount Macedon, New Gisborneto leave now.

A lot of the areas being impacted by these fires are rural properties with livestock.

Adam Dent from the Red Cross told ABC that people should check with their local council to see if contingency plans are in place to deal with pets and livestock, including whether the animals can be taken to relief centres.

The day began with 24 fires on the list. There are now 37 but many have started and been put out. Lapsley estimates in excess of 150 fires began today. A number of fires began weeks ago, sparked by lightning.

Fires begin one of two ways, said Lapsley. Either by a natural event, or by human hand either in a malicious, foolish or unintended way.

Lay confirmed police have visited a number of people who are known to have a history of starting fires as part of their investigations.

The injured firefighter was in Preston, in the metropolitan fire area, Lapsley believes. The incident is being investigated.

Firefighters are working to protect the Hazelwood open cut and power station which is under threat from fire.

As an indication of evacuation recommendations, nine of the 27 houses doorknocked in one small rural community chose to stay and defend their home. Lapsley described the town as an area where people are aware of fire danger and likely well prepared for fires.

Victorian Police Commissioner Ken Lay said that police have been deployed to several fires to determine the cause. This does not mean the fires were lit by arsonists, just that the cause is not yet known, he said.

If you are located in Bonang, Cabanandra, Deddick Valley, Dellicknora, Tubbut and Amboyne, it is strongly recommended that you evacuate and seek shelter at Delegate Relief Centre at the Delegate Country Club, Bonang Road, Delegate.

There is zero visibility in the air around the Bangor fire in South Australia, the CFS earlier reported. Firefighters have been battling the fire in the Flinders Ranges - currently at emergency level - for 26 consecutive days.

At least three homes lost

Tony Bearzatto confirmed to Guardian Australia that two homes have been confirmed lost at Warrandyte and one at Gisbourne. There are reports of more but the CFA has not yet confirmed this.

Firefighting resources from interstate have been assisting Victorian efforts for the last week or two, Bearzatto said. NSW RFS has more on standby and spokesman Matt Sun earlier told AAP: “if they need a hand, they pick up the phone, just the same way that when we needed help in October we picked up the phone,” Sun said.

At least one NSW aircrane has already been tasked to assist Victorian firefighters.

A cool change is going through Melbourne at the moment which has seen temperatures drop dramatically, but winds remain strong and have changed direction, gusting up to 60 to 80 kmph.

The change is expected to reach Gippsland around 4pm this afternoon, and the east of the state at about 7pm.

“The situation is changing by the minute,” Tony Bearzatto from Victoria’s CFA told Guardian Australia a short time ago.

“With the wind change going through, creating very hot and blustery conditions which - even though the temperature is dropping - is increasing the erratic fire behaviour. We’re getting numerous new fires popping up all the time,” he said.

“We’ve still go a long battle ahead of us and people need to remain alert.”

In South Australia’s Flinders Ranges firefighters have been working to control an emergency-level grass fire for the 26th consecutive day. The Bangor fire poses a danger to lives and homes near Beetaloo and Wirrabara, the Country Fire Service (CFS) has warned.

“There was a report in the early hours of the morning of a quite substantial flare-up deep in the firegrounds where we could not get crews in,” Brenton Eden from the CFS told ABC News on Sunday.

He said it may have been caused by a haystack or building going up in flames but they would not know for sure until fire crews could get into the area.

“To be perfectly honest the fire behaviour yesterday was as bad as we have seen in the last 25 days,” Eden said.

“History would show that if it’s taken us that long to bring this fire under control it will be a considerable time before we can again bring it under control.”

Homes lost in Victorian fires

Firefighters say there is “no reprieve in sight” as the most dangerous fire threat since 2009’s Black Saturday threaten lives and homes.

ABC reports homes have been lost to fire as eight emergency warnings are issued across Victoria. Footage shot from the air shows several homes alight, but the exact location has not been confirmed.

Residents in some areas have been told it is too late to leave and they need to seek protection inside as blazes burn towards towns.

Residents in Bete Bolong, Bete Bolong North, Youngs Creek and the outlying areas of Jarrahmond are “strongly recommended” to evacuate to the Orbost Relief Centre at Orbost Secondary College, Arnold Street, Orbost. Fires are expected to impact the area in the next two hours.